Mother's Choice

One gloomy autumn afternoon, at my office, I received a woman. In my decades of working life, I have encountered many situations, lives, and stories of all kinds, but because of the nature of my profession, all of those stories were sad.

So, when I met this woman, I had some hope that it was a happy story, because she came to withdraw the divorce petition she had filed.

When she walked in, at first glance, I saw that she had a gentle, polite style. Her outfit was office wear, elegant, serious but exuded elegance and discretion.

Her eyes were filled with sadness. When she explained the reason for meeting me was to withdraw the divorce petition, my eyes lit up with joy because in my mind I quickly thought of a reunited family, escaping the brink of collapse, there would be children who would not be separated, separated, and have to live in families with disabilities.

I encouraged her: "That's great! Congratulations on making the right decision. Surely you two have solved the problem in your married life?". She answered me, her voice deep and hoarse: "No, but I accept being the loser."

And then tears silently flowed down her cheeks. Both she and I fell silent. I understood that this woman had something hidden in her heart. After a while, she asked permission to confide her feelings. I nodded and listened attentively.

I always listen to others, hoping that they can relieve their hidden worries. Because my profession is related to the negative side of society, which contains many contradictions, hidden problems, entanglements, frustrations, and grievances.

I have heard, not only at work but also at home and in society. Anyone who knows or is close to me has a problem that needs to be solved, they want me to listen and give advice, to help them solve it.

Invisibly, that makes my heart, mind, and soul like a bag, containing all the sadness, frustration, and sometimes even the most negative things in life. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. But no one understands that, because no one thinks that society has so many problems.

And today, I heard it again. Her voice was low, small, even, sometimes with hiccups and sobs: She came from a poor family but had a tradition of education and studiousness. Therefore, her brothers and sisters were all educated and well-educated.

Being a highly independent person, she always tries to do everything with her own strength. Like her older siblings, she also has a certain position in society. Their marriage has strong roots. He is an officer in the armed forces.

They had two children, a boy and a girl, beautiful as pictures, obedient, good at studying, and understanding. His unit was far away, so she took care of almost all the family affairs by herself. With her cleverness, family life gradually overcame the difficult days and became more and more prosperous.

Outside, they looked at the couple's family with admiration: the husband was neat, the wife had social status, and as soon as she reached the gate, she got into the car. Moreover, relatives all respected her because although she was in power outside, at home she was simple and sociable, and she did not hesitate to take care of her elderly and sick parents-in-law like a nurse.

She always thought that she had sacrificed, devoted herself, and built her family with all her heart, so she could never be betrayed.

Because of that pride, the fortress of faith in her collapsed when she discovered the truth: She had been deceived and betrayed for many years. Her life suddenly became gray. Every day, she could no longer find the peace and ease to enter a new working day, she lost faith and resented the whole world.

She was always haunted by the image of her unfaithful husband and the "woman" who deliberately destroyed her family. The image was always present when she closed her eyes to sleep, or even when she closed her eyes to meditate to calm her mind.

In despair, she filed for divorce in court. But then, after many sleepless, painful nights, she thought of her parents, of their satisfied eyes and satisfied smiles every time they saw her and her children coming home, of her children who were living peacefully, carefree, and happily, only knowing how to study and dream.

They are all my flesh and blood. I cannot make them sad or disappointed. The purpose of my life is for them.

After much consideration, she decided to suppress her pain, hide her sadness and tears, suffer alone, and accept to continue playing the role that life had placed her in.

Listening to her, I also felt my heart ache. After completing the withdrawal procedure, I saw her trying to dry the remaining tears, her facial expression changed completely, she was fresh again, quick and active, only her eyes were still deep and sad. She said goodbye to me and walked quickly away.

Unconsciously, I walked towards the window, continuing to watch her. Gently but firmly, she opened the car door and stepped in. The car blended into the flow of life outside.

As a duty officer, I respect the decision of the person concerned, although I know that her way of resolving the conflict is not necessarily a sustainable solution. Love, forgiveness and sacrifice are always necessary and should be respected and encouraged, but the important thing is to do it in the right place, at the right time, and in the right place. In this case, perhaps only the person involved can understand.

I realized that: Out on the busy streets, many people look happy, but their hearts are not necessarily happy, while many people look miserable and hard-working, but who knows, they are actually peaceful and happy. Outwardly, it looks like that, but it is not necessarily true. And finally, I know that: A mother's choice is always her children.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/su-lua-chon-cua-nguoi-me-17224092410352852.htm